Not All Princesses Live In Castles
by Rain on my Windows
Summary: Sophie was just your average kid in care. But when she falls for Liam O'Donovan, and they both make some stupid decisions, her world is turned on it's head. This is the story of their relationship. First story and I think its a pretty bad summary. Rated T to be safe. Liam/OC
1. Chapter 1

"So remind me, what the homework was…?"  
"To write a full essay on our family and family history."  
"And you didn't do it because…?"  
"I didn't want to."  
The new history teacher sighed.  
"Sophie, I can't say I'm not disappointed. I had high expectations from you." He handed my book back to me. "I expect this done by tomorrow or you will face dire consequences."  
"Sorry sir, but I won't- can't do it." He obviously hadn't read my file. If he had he wouldn't have set this blasted homework. I had to stay calm though. If I didn't, Rachael would get involved, mind you then he wouldn't keep on about it and-  
"Sophie, this sort of insolence-"  
I just lost it.  
"STOP! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" I was hardly aware of the rest of the class' nervous and applauding giggles at the back of my mind. "YOU SHOULD JUST PUSH OFF AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"

* * *

Naturally I was sent to the Headmaster's office for my behaviour. And due to personal circumstances I was only sent home with no other consequences. But Rachael was none too pleased.  
"Sophie, your behaviour is getting worse and worse!"  
"My behaviour isn't getting worse; my temper is just being tested more often." I had to smirk at that. Nobody could beat me in word battle. Well, not yet anyway!  
It was then she sighed. That was how she dealt with things. _If you ever feel like you are about to shout, take a deep breath and count to ten. __  
_"Sophie, I've been thinking,"  
"Perish the thought!" She sighed again. My conscience told me to stop; I was really annoying her, but it _was_ really funny!  
"Sophie, please just listen to me." She turned to face me when the car slowed to a stop at the traffic lights.  
"I've noticed the change in behaviour has come when we moved you from Richmond Park to Sunny Vale."  
She had that right. Richmond wasn't too bad. Sure, it was a bit rough around the edges, but inside everyone looked after each other; if a bit fiercely. I had some good friends there, then my stupid dad found me, and although I insisted it wasn't a problem, that I could deal with him; they thought it best to move to the most notorious care home for crime rate and runaways. I had probably added to those statistics in my time there, but that's not important.  
"Which is why I've decided that you should move again. So I'm going to bring…"  
There was no point in her talking anymore. I was too busy being ecstatic over the fact that I was leaving Vale. Finally, maybe I could actually get a decent night's sleep without having to wake up every two hours to check that my stuff was still there. I might even be able to eat without having to literally guard my food. I was on cloud nine,  
and naturally Rachael had to pull me crashing back down to Earth, "so pack your things tonight and I'll take you tomorrow, yeah?"  
"Uhh, yeah," there were times when I cursed myself for not listening properly "just tell me again, where am I going?"  
"Elm Tree House. Weren't you listening?"

* * *

I wasn't the first kid to leave Sunny Vale with two bin bags, but probably the first to leave with her most treasured belonging. My brother's pocket watch was clutched in my hands. I pulled my feet up and rested them on my two bin bags of clothes. Most of them didn't fit me but I didn't have the heart to get rid of them. I had promised my sister all of them when she went to live that family. She was too little to remember, but when I make a promise I keep it.  
"So how far away from school is it?"  
"Walking distance, so closer than Sunny Vale is. I really think you'll be happy here Soph!"  
"Rachael, my name is Sophie. Soph-_ie._" I made sure to put a lot emphasis on the 'ie'. I hate when people call me Soph, unless they're really close. Only my brother, mum and sister called me that.  
"Yes, yes sorry Sophie. Well we're nearly there, it's not so far away, and you can still see your friends!"  
"What friends? Most people hear me open my mouth and assume I'm some posh, stuck up rich kid."  
Rachael didn't reply. She doesn't when she knows I'm right.  
"We're here!" Her overly cheery mood can sometimes be very patronising. However this time it was very comforting. I collected my bin bags of clothes and made my way up to the house. Rachael has this policy of the kids introducing themselves, rather than the social worker introduce the kids. I've always hated it because it means immediate judgement. I like to pretend I can fit in for a little while.  
Before I can ring the bell the door is flung open and a boy with black curly hair, a blue polo shirt and beige trousers is stood there, poised at the ready with a notebook.  
"Who are you?" he barks at me. Wow, way to make a girl feel welcome!  
"Sophie Timely. And you are?" Be nice Sophie, be nice.  
"Gus Carmichael. I can't let you in. I need some ID."  
"Why?" This kid must have a disease or condition or something. But he didn't seem to be intentionally rude.  
"Gus?" A man with balding grey hair came up behind Gus. "Please tell me when you open the door! Hi I'm Mike, you must be Sophie, come on in!" He took one of my bags and led me to what I assumed was the office. Sat at one of the desks was a large woman in brightly coloured clothes.  
"Hi, I'm Rachael, Sophie's social worker" She shook the woman's hands.  
"Gina. You and Mike have already met?" So her name was Gina, it suited her.  
"Yes that's right." Rachael handed Mike my file. "Anything we should discuss with Sophie?"  
"Well, just that you're bed time is at ten, and that means lights out. And Tracy will show you your room" He smiled at me. I think it may have been the first smile I've had from a care worker in a long time.  
I hadn't noticed a short girl with black hair enter the room I assumed she was Tracy because she'd picked up my bin bags and asked me if I wanted to go see my room.  
"You're going to really like it here I think, I grew up here. Mike used to look after me. You said you came from Sunny Vale?" She was talking a lot.  
"Well I didn't say, but I assumed correctly that everyone knew. Yes, I did. And Richmond before that. But I grew up on the Fleeting estate, otherside of town."  
"Wow, you speak much nicer than most people from round there!"  
"Thanks, that was kind of the idea. I didn't always talk like this, it's a long story." Like all good care workers she took that as her cue to change the subject. Luckily it was at that point that they stopped outside a door.  
"This is you! Need any help?" Tracy seemed like a nice enough person, but I just wanted a bit of time on my own before meeting the other kids.

* * *

**A/N  
I thought I should finally do something. I'm not really happy with this and I've been playing with it for days but meh, it's 23:17 and I'm done now. This is it: first story. Yep.**

**Reviews would be nice! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Reluctantly making my way downstairs to meet the other 'young people', as we're called, I was hoping that I wouldn't meet anyone from the school. If I was lucky they would all be in younger years so I wouldn't have to put up with them in school like at Vale. It was a big care home so you never escaped the taunts of the day. Still, I put on my brave face and acted like I didn't care; I didn't then and I don't now…ish.  
"Hi! I'm Carmen, this is Tee!" Two girls had suddenly materialised in front of me, making me stumble back a bit. I hadn't realised I had wandered so far into the living room without introducing myself, but these girls seemed to be the only ones who had noticed.  
"I'm Sophie, kinda made me jump there!" I smiled warmly at them. It seemed a nice enough place, so I may as well try to make friends, even though these girls did seem quite a bit younger than me.  
"Sorry, Gina says we have a tendency to that!" the shorter of the two apologised.  
"It's alright! What did you say your names were?"  
"I'm Carmen," the girl with long dark hair pointed to herself, "and this is Tee."  
"Hi." Wow Sophie, way to make yourself look good, you forget their names after two seconds. Intelligent.  
"That's my brother Johnny," she gestured to a boy sat at the computer who looked up briefly and muttered a hello. I'd seen him around the school he might have been in year eight or nine, "he can be a bit anti-social when he's on the computer!"  
I looked up around the room to see how many kids were here. Not too many, so this awkward bit would be over soon, thank god. But there were a few people that went to the same school as me. There was a girl sat there, with blue highlights; Elektra. I didn't get on too badly with her, but she wasn't the friendliest of people. I may as well get it over with:  
"Hi Elektra."  
"Yep." Well that was easy.  
"I'm Harry. This is Jeff. Who are you?" A small blonde boy who couldn't be more than seven was gently poking me in the side.  
"Hi Harry, Jeff! I'm Sophie, nice to meet you!" So there were small children here too, I might just be able to make myself useful then.

* * *

Climbing into bed I couldn't help but smile at my new circumstance. It was a really friendly place and they didn't seem to judge me, true to Tracy's word. Although some did seem taken aback when I said where I came from, but that was going to happen.  
The Fleeting estate wasn't the nicest of places to grow up. It was always littered with junkies and empty beer bottles. Mum used to look after me, my brother and my sister but Dad was always in charge. My brother left when I was about nine, he was nineteen. My mum had him at an early age; Dad always said that it wasn't anything to be ashamed of, that more people should do it. But Rob, my brother, hated his life there and spent every waking moment trying to escape it. Rob loved school, sports the best. He used to stay really late school training. Dad got mad at him for it, but it just made him stay later at school.  
Dad got mad a lot. He mainly got mad at Mum and Rob, but Rob didn't let it get to him and Dad couldn't punish him when Rob was training so much, so he could easily over power Dad. That may have been why he took it out on me and Mum. I only got yelled at and hit a few times, but he used to batter Mum. I don't think he knew I was watching, because if he did he was sick. Well he was sick for beating my mum up, but even more so.  
But when Mum found out she was pregnant with my sister he stopped. He was still angry all the time but he used Mum's saving to drink it away. Mum didn't say anything because it meant he was calmer for a while and out of the house, but Rob had plenty to say about it. Dad came back one night absolutely pissed and Rob just snapped. He went crazy at Dad, shouting about how Dad should be a better father, that I've had to miss school for two weeks for the black eye he gave me when he should be taking Mum to her hospital appointments (according to Dad, Mum wasn't allowed out on her own). So Dad started yelling back, saying that Rob should just go, leave because he was a useless waste of space anyway. That was how we all found out he had joined up for the army. I was sat meekly in the living room. I was too young to understand what Rob was doing but I knew he was going away, for a long time, and my big brother had always took care of me when Mum couldn't. Mum broke down and Dad just went packed his bag and told him he never wanted to see him again. And he never did.  
My sister was born not long after that she was called Teresa after my Dad's mother. But neither my mum nor I liked it much so we called her Totti, as a nickname. When she was one the social called over and mum had bruises all over her arms, but Dad wasn't in. She told them everything asked them to take me and my sister away. I hated her for that for a while, but I soon realised that she was trying to save us from Dad.  
Totti and I started in emergency foster care. But when we went to Richmond a family was looking to adopt a little girl about her age. And I was left on my own.

I placed Rob's watch in the top drawer in the table next to my bed and turned over. The room was nice enough, a bit bare, but I'll just set my posters and pictures on it and that'll change. I was thinking about what would go where when I heard my window being pulled open and groans of effort coming into it. Panicking I grabbed a big text book, raised it above my head and crept over to my open window. A rucksack swung itself over the window sill, into my room and two hands and a head appeared at the bottom of the window.  
"Who put the curtains up today then, eh?"  
With that I deftly swung the book down on his head.  
"Argh! What do you think you're doing!"  
"I could ask you the same thing!"  
"Shh, keep your voice down!" he sighed "Can I come in? Only I don't find hanging outside of a window that comfortable."  
Realisation dawned on me. I knew who that voice belonged to. Liam O'Donovan, the infamous prankster known throughout the school.  
"Liam? What are you doing here?"  
"So, you're the new girl then Sophie! Sorry, didn't expect you to be in this room!" He grabbed my arm still held out with book, and finally hauled himself into my room. "Just went out for a day trip with a mate, didn't expect to be back so late so I came through the window so that I didn't wake anyone up... apart from you, sorry about that!"  
"You live here? In care? Here?" I was still shell shocked from a 15 year old boy climbing through my window at eleven o'clock at night.  
"Yeah, Gus has probably given you a tour already, right?"  
"Yes, he has. I know we don't have much to do with each other in school but you never said that you were a care kid!"  
"Well, you never asked." He picked up his rucksack and started across the room.  
"Well... You never gave me a reason to!" I put the book down on the desk in the corner. He spun around and looked me up and down before grinning and saying:  
"Nice PJ's!"

* * *

**A/N **

**Much happier about this chapter than the last.  
Thank you so so much to everyone reviewed/followed/favourite! Gave me a real boost and determination to finish this story.  
I'll try to update soon but I have a messed up sleeping pattern so they probably won't be that regular but I have free days for a few weeks (summer holidays YES!) so they'll hopefully be quite frequent.  
Reviews make me very happy! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

"What?" I glanced down in horror at my vest top and shorts and hastily reached for my tatty dressing gown and covered myself. "You didn't have to look!"  
"You didn't give me a reason not to!" Smirking he turned around towards the door and walked smack into the bed. Both our heads snapped up to the door when a gentle knock came from the other side.  
"Sophie? You okay babes? Can I come in?" Gina. Shit. Having never been in a situation like this before, I stared at Liam in desperation. The ever cocky bastard just grinned, jumped off my bed and swung the door open.  
"Hiya Gina!"  
The shocked silence seemed to stretch out into eternity when Gina just beckoned with her fingers for us just to follow her and we were led silently down to the office.  
"Gina, he just climbed through my window!"  
"Oh, thanks for dropping me in it lightly!"  
"Well, what else was I meant to say? That I invited you over for a midnight feast and a nightly bitching session?"  
"Well, no. But-"  
"But nothing," Gina had held up her hand to silence us both. "Liam, you disappear all day, give us no contact and you think it'd be fine to just climb through a window and not tell anyone about it?"  
"Well, it would be a nice breakfast surprise!" Rightfully she ignored that.  
"Sophie, why didn't you come down and tell me was here?"  
"I was about to! After I calmed down from a boy just appearing in my room, I was going to go down, but this idiot here had to wake the house up and prompt you to come and collect him!"  
"Ever the articulate angel!" Liam sneered at me, sarcasm dripping from his voice. This was the constant reminder why I hardly ever spoke to him in school. I just scoffed and turned away from him.  
"Right both of you to bed; we'll talk more in the morning Liam, when Mike's here."

* * *

"Sophie, can I speak to you a moment please?" Mr. Mockings (had had a series mocking from the class!) was the new history teacher. I dreaded to think what would happen as I turned from the door at the end of the lesson and walked over to him. "I must apologise for what I said yesterday. I was ill imformed and put you in a position that I never should have. I'm very sorry."  
I was completely gobsmacked. If anything I should have been the one apologising for the way I acted and yet here he was being a human, not a teacher!  
"But Sir, surely I reacted a bit irrationally!"  
"Angrily, but not irrationally. I do still want some work from you, and you seem a very keen historian," he had that right. I loved history. The reasearch that I'd put into my brother's pocket watch was credit for that. "what's your favourite era?"  
"At the moment? I'd have to say the First World war, or the generally Edwardian era to make it broader!"  
"Interesting, well how about you do a project on the broader subject, incoroporate what you like and produce it in what ever format. I want to see your capability."  
"Okay, thank you Sir." I couldn't wait to start it. I could use the information about the pocket watch in it. I was completely lost in thought and ideas when Mr. Mockings cleared his throught and nodded towards the door saying: "Better run along to your next class, don't want to be late do you?"

* * *

**A/N**

**I feel really bad because this is quite short, but without splitting it up into two chapters I couldn't think of a way to link the next part up.  
Just wondering, do you think that Liam and Sophie should become friends within the next few chapters or maybe they should continue with their arguments. I don't know. Leave a review because they make me very happy and spur me to write more. And because it's so short, I will try to update tomorrow at an earlier time, but I have to go back to apple because my phone is all messed up and it's just been replaced and it's still not right and it's very very annoying and quite stressful. Argh. I ned more sleep. Stop typing now and go to bed. Right. Review please! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

"Oi!" Liam yelled, catching up to Elektra Johnny and me. "We're meant to walk back _together_."  
"Well, we waited ages!" Elektra huffed not turning her head.  
"What were you doing anyway?"  
"Never you mind Johnny." Liam's face had turned from breathlessness to one of secretive glee. Deciding that I didn't want to know, I pulled my coat tighter around me and tried to make myself warmer in the November wind.  
I had been thinking hard about what to do for my project. My top ideas were either a scrapbook highlighting women's top fashions through the era and through the First World War _or_ create a fictional diary of my great, great grandfather, who brought my brother's watch to war with him.  
I was so lost in thought I didn't notice the lamppost that I was about to walk right into but I did notice Liam's hands dragging me swiftly away from it.  
"Gina would kill us if the new girl came home with a bloody nose."

* * *

"DINNER!" Even if you were in hyperspace I'd still warrant you could still hear Gina when she bellowed. Unfortunately I had the pleasure of being stood right next to her. Just because you were new didn't mean you could just skive off chores, and it was my turn to set the table. Within seconds there as a stream of kids crowding into the kitchen. Picking up a drink from the counter I moved to take my seat.  
"Sophie, Gina had told me to wait before I asked you, but I have waited precisely," Gus checked the watch on his arm, "twenty seven hours and fourteen minutes. I need to know why you speak recieved pronunciation when you have come from the Fleeting estate and Richmond care home."  
"Why I speak what?" I may sound posh, but I didn't understand a word that he had just said. He frowned, wrote something down in his ever present notebook.  
"Recieved pronunciation..."  
"He means, why do you speak posh?" You could always count on Elektra to put it bluntly.  
"Oh," I put a helping of pasta on my plate, "I decided that I didn't want to be judged on where I came from."  
"Wait, you didn't always talk like this?"  
"No, But when I was leaving the foster care I dicided to teach myself how to speak without a regional accent, so that I couldn't be labeled to one area."  
"Nothing wrong with not speaking posh!"  
"I agree Liam, but I also know that others don't, and they judge you for it."  
"Then they aren't worth your time!"  
"I'm not going to fight with you!" The more time I spent with him, the more more I disliked him. He was a cocky arrogant little shit and the less time spent with him the better. Luckily before he could retaliate Mike sat down and gave us a look to silence us both.  
"So how did you teach yourself Sophie?" Thank god for Carmen and her inhuman ability to keep the peace.  
"YouTube, mostly. I just kept practising until it became habit." I hastily ate some pasta "This is really good Gina" A deperate attempt to change the subject.  
All of a sudden Liam had succumbed to a massive coughing fit, but the words "suck up" and "kiss ass" were clearly audible.  
"Liam? You alright man?" Gina asked worriedly. I just rolled my eyes, only adults wouldn't have heard him say it. And as if by magic he suddenly stoppped.  
"Yeah I'm fine Gina!"  
"Well, don't call Sophie a suck up. It was very nice of her to compliment my cooking." Score one: Me. "For that I think you can help Sophie do the washing up." There were times when reliving your worst nightmare was preferable to your current situation. This was one of those situations.

* * *

**A/N Sorry for two things:**

**It's a bit late**

**And that it's short.**

**Blame writers block, but I'm writing the next chapter now, so I will try update later today. I will also try to make it longer.  
Reviews make me really happy (even if you just want to yell at me for being slow!)!**


	5. Chapter 5

Washing up with Liam had to be a joke, washing up while Liam stood there would be a better description. He just stood there by the draining board with a tea towel over his shoulder.  
"Hey Sophie?"  
"What?" There was no way in hell I was going to hold a conversation with him.  
"I wasn't trying to fight with you earlier." I scoffed. He couldn't have been serious. "I just thought that you thought that we thought you would be really dodgy coming from Fleeting _and _Richmond. I was trying to point out we weren't like that."  
"Then why were you being so defensive?"  
"I wasn't. I was trying to send, um… what d'you call them? Those message things." I raised an eyebrow.  
"Subliminal messages?"  
"Yeah. You were the one who came up with the fight!" I thought back. I suppose I had been a little bit argumentative. I chewed my bottom lip and stared intently at the foamy sink.  
"Oh, well, yeah. Sorry." As much as I tried, I couldn't make it sound sincere.

Whenever I think or realise that I'm wrong then I get really embarrassed and quite shy. This can be very difficult when other people are abusing the fact that you're wrong and you've lost all courage to stop them.

I was too busy being embarrassed at first to notice the small drops of water hitting my cheek. Liam had wiped the excess water from the plates on his hands and had now proceeded to flick water at me.  
"Do you mind?"  
"No. Do you?" his cheeky grin had forced me to smirk back at him.  
"Yeah I do a bit."  
"What are you going to do about it?" He punctuated his question with another splash of water to my face. This time from the sink itself.

"You wouldn't want to know, O'Donovan!" I turned back to the sink, an evil plot playing on my mind. All it would take was another- "LIAM!" spatter of water to the face.

I grabbed the nearest tea towel, dunked it in the sink, and before he knew what was happening, shoved the sopping cloth down the front of his t-shirt and ran off.  
"Sophie!" I couldn't tell if he sounded mad or not. Still, Tracy was coming through the front door; so I took no chances and bolted through. Glancing back I saw Liam appear at the doorway, smiling. I didn't want to get caught though, as he held the same tea towel, creating a puddle on the floor.  
"Sophie Timely! Just you wait!" Not wanting to wait and see what he was going to do, I put my head down and sprinted towards the low roof of the garage.

I totally misjudged how long it would take me to get up and over it. I had one leg dangling as I hoisted myself up onto the roof. But Liam grabbed my ankle, and before I could do anything about it; I came crashing down into his arms and a sopping wet tea towel was rubbed all over my face and hair.  
"You know, running mascara is such a good look on you!"  
"I bet." I was becoming more and more aware of the fact that Liam's arms were under my legs and around my middle.  
"Um, do you want to put me down now? Not that I'm not grateful for your valiant attempt to stop me from climbing on the roof."  
And then he blushed. Actually full out, red-in-the-face, blushed.  
"Oh! Erm, yeah! Sorry..." As he put me down I had to almost physically repress the urge hug him. I don't even know why. Horrified at my thought of hugging Liam, especially for no reason, I straightened out my damp shirt that had ridden up a bit from climbing, and swiftly made my way back towards the house with my head held high.  
Sometimes I just don't do myself any favours.

* * *

"_They didn't believe me. No, they didn't believe me, do do do!_" A little bit of Johnny Mercer always got me in the mood for a little Edwardian research. I had decided to do an illustrated diary of my great, great grandfather's life, up to and including his death in 1918, two weeks before the war ended. Well, I think it was him. My Nan had a picture of him and a name I noticed he was holding the same pocket watch as my brother's. Nobody knew anything about him, or his wife. And I couldn't ask my Nan because I only found the photo when we were clearing out her flat before her funeral. So he might be a great, great relation of some sorts, but I like to think of him as my great, great granddad.

I was a tracing a pattern for a 1906 tea dress when there was a knock on the door.  
"Come in!" I turned to see who it was. Harry was there clutching a bag of what appeared to be grass, and the ever present Jeff. "Hi Harry, can I help you?"  
"Me and Jeff want to have dinner with you." It took all my resolve not to correct his grammar mistake.  
"Dinner? But we've already had it!" I could see where this was going, but I could tell he wanted to explain and tell me what to do, so I went along with it.  
"Giraffes eat later. I've got Jeff's dinner here and he likes me to pretend that I'm eating with him. But tonight we want you too." he had stepped over the threshold of my bedroom and looked around. I couldn't tell if he was scared or mesmerised by my decorating.  
On the piece of wall above my head I had stuck pictures of my mum my sister, various family shots (I had cut my dad out), and in the middle was the latest photo of my brother and the dog that was apparently very fond of him in the camp.  
On other parts of the room were countless pictures that I had drawn, cut out or copied from various scenes in history. To someone who looked at it at a glance would probably be creeped out.

Having regained his senses he thrust the bag of grass at me and declared he was going to get the plates. So he wasn't that terrified then.  
He returned soon after with three plastic plates, a yellow, orange and pink one.  
"I didn't know your favourite colour, but I got pink because Carmen said girls like pink."  
"Well some of them do, and I like pink, but I don't have a favourite colour!"  
"I see you got to have tea with Jeff this evening." I looked up and Liam was leaning on my doorframe.  
"I see that you've put on a clean shirt and come to my room to stalk me!"  
"Nope, I was merely trying to find where the lost grandmother was, the music was coming from in here so she must be hiding.  
"Very funny." Liam must do this a lot because Harry hadn't turned a hair; he instead passed me the pink plate of grass. Liam in the meantime had pressed the button on my iPod to see what was playing. "Do you mind?"  
"Kinda, who listens to this stuff?"  
"Me."  
"I don't even know who half of these people are!"  
"Oh well, it's not your iPod, and I do!" You know those thoughts I had of hugging him earlier? Yeah; they were completely gone now.  
"No, seriously; who are the Andrew Sisters? Are they really underground?"  
"Well, two of them are six feet under!" I had to laugh when he dropped my iPod as if it encased their bodies.  
"Erm, how about I take this," he proceeded to tentatively pick it back up, "and put some music on it?"  
He had obviously never heard real music.  
"It has music on it."  
"Sophie, would you like some more?" As small as he was, Harry couldn't have sounded any more like an old man at that moment and I had to bite my lip from laughing outright. Liam just laughed.  
"You know Harry? I'm kind of full, but it was a very pleasant dinner, thank you!"  
"Okay, bye then!"  
"How do you do that?"  
"Do what Liam?" I was doing nothing to hide the annoyance in my voice.  
"Take everything so seriously?" I scoffed.  
"I do not!"  
"Yeah you do." Liam was quite at home in my bedroom, leaning on my bed frame, scanning through all my songs on my iPod. "Okay the only song I've actually heard of on here is Pack Up Your Troubles, but it's not even the right version!"  
"Oh, yeah, I have the "rewrote for general sale", I couldn't find the marching tune anywhere!" He shot me a look that immediately told me I was beginning to ramble about something that wasn't right, in his eyes. "What?"  
"I meant the Eliza Doolittle one."  
"That? Ugh, hate that song." I took my iPod and put it back in the dock. "Look, you don't think this is a good song?" I flicked through until _Oh! Johnny Oh_! came on.  
"Wasn't that in Narnia?"  
"Yep! But it was written in the 1910's. It's about this boy who wasn't able to go to war, and because of that the girls all went crazy for him, even though he wasn't much of a looker."  
"I don't get it." Trust him.  
"They wanted to have sex with him because there was no one else around!" Immediately a huge cloud of confusion covered his face.  
"But I thought they were all prim and proper back then?"  
"Well, unless people didn't get to hear about it, anything went!"  
"So to make sure they didn't hear about it, they wrote a song about it?" I shrugged and said:  
"Well, the sisters were American, and they didn't mind so much. It has to be said the British were really uptight!"

* * *

**A/N**

**So I am alive...**

**I have basically slept my summer away. In between learning lines for Helena in the school play (Midsummer Night's Dream) and preparing for an audition (I got the part, Jill in the Panto "Mother Goose, COME SEE IT!) and trying not to become glow in the dark**  
**with sun burn, I have written this. And I felt bad about the last two chapters being so short that I wanted it to be long!**

**But I usually fell asleep writing it (you have no idea how many times I have woken up with my phone stuck to my face!). But it's here now, so please review; even if it is just to yell at me for being so slow, and you're also very welcome to throw virtual rotten fruit at me. I will take it with my head bowed. Over my laptop/phone. Writing the next chapter. :D I WILL TRY TO BE GOOD! So yeah, I'm gonna stop now...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Uhmmmm, hi...**

* * *

"Hey Sophie?"  
"Yes?" I replied without looking up. I had two pages left and then my project would be done.  
"I've got your iPod." I'd almost forgotten that Liam had taken my iPod to fill it with unnecessarily noisy "music". I paused before continuing my work.  
"Oh, can I have it back then?" I expected him to hand it to me, but when he didn't and continued to stand there I slowly looked up. "Well?"  
"Your music taste is fucked." Thankfully no one else was around to reprimand him for his choice of words. Did I say thankfully? I looked back down to my work and held my hand out expectantly.  
"Oh really?"  
"Really." Liam placed my iPod in my hand. I did nothing other than close my hand around it and continued working.  
"Thanks for letting me know. I'll be sure to jump to your high standards of personal preference at once." You could almost see the sarcasm oozing from my voice.  
"Well aren't you going to listen to any of it?" I simply offered a glance of disbelief to him and started adding the finishing touches to my project. Not taking the hint that I wanted to be left in peace, Liam then proceeded to sit next to me on the sofa. "You busy?" I raised my eyebrows and turned my head to face him.  
"No, I'm totally free at the moment." He was beginning to really get on my nerves. But with my reply (and at my confusion) he broke out into his trademark grin, grabbed my hand and pulled me up to my room. "Liam! What do you think you're doing? I was being _sarcastic!_"  
"I know. But I wanted you to listen to your new music." He grabbed my iPod from my hand and then plugged into the speakers. Almost immediately some rap music started blaring out. Liam had obviously listened to this thousands of times before because he strategically turned the volume down when the rapper swore. He was turned away from me so he couldn't see my face of horror glaring at him and my iPod. After a few songs he turned it down slightly. "So what do you think?" I could hear the grin in his voice. I _was _going to reply sarcastically but now wasn't the time.  
"What do I think? _What do I think?! I THINK YOU'VE BUTCHERED MY iPOD, MY EARS AND YOUR_ BRAIN!" Clearly this wasn't the response he'd expected because I received a shocked expression and a pitiful droop of shoulders. That didn't deter me from grabbing my iPod and begin frantically searching for _my _music. When I couldn't find it my head snapped up and Liam faltered under my piercing stare. "Where are they?"  
"Uhmm, where are what Sophie?" he feigned a nervous innocence. But obviously I wasn't fooled.  
"You know that I won't be able to buy them back! I only let you take my iPod because it would shut you up and I could delete the stuff you put on there. _But you just had to completely remodel my music." _So I was probably being irrational, but I _really _liked my music. And now I was at Elm Tree there was no way I could get my music back. Liam was completely bewildered and started to back out towards the door. "Oh yeah! Just run off, it wouldn't be like you to find a way to sort things out, _would it?!_" I think I hit a nerve there because his head snapped up, he glared at me and swept out of my room slamming the door.

* * *

That morning I woke up to heavy rain beating down on my window. I sighed and got out of bed and ready for school. My history project was finished and despite the weather, I was excited to get to school to hand it in.  
"Morning Sophie! Sleep well?" It seemed that Tracy's mood was one to rival my own.  
"Yeah," my hand reached out to grab a piece of toast, "could I get a lift today? I don't want my project at risk of water damage!"  
"I'll check, but I think so." I turned to go get my bag and bumped into _Liam_. We hadn't spoken since I went ape-shit on him a few days ago. I felt bad, because it really wasn't that bad and I had _totally _overreacted, but I can be as stubborn as a mule. So when I went face first into his shoulder I did something any person with a lack of sanity would do: went bright red, squeaked and ran past him. I vaguely heard Tracy say, "Weird. Do you know what's up with her, Liam?" I didn't stop to hear his answer. Instead I picked up my project, put it in two carrier bags and picked up the largest umbrella there was and shouted to Tracy to forget the lift.  
I had no idea why I was behaving like that around him. I mean for some strange reason I couldn't stop thinking about him. His eyes and their cheeky glint, and that annoying smirk that just almost never fades. I shook my head trying to clear it of all Liam related thoughts.  
"Sophie!" At first I didn't hear it, but when my name was yelled several times I realised that the one person I was avoiding was calling after me. So then I started to purposely ignore him. I didn't have the heart not to slow down a little when he caught up with me and I saw he didn't have an umberella. "Did you not hear me?"  
"I did, but I was ignoring you."  
"Why?" He turned his head to look at me with a lopsided frown whilst trying to shake some of the water out of his hair.  
"Because I haven't been able to use my iPod in a week. And unless you're offering to pay about fifty quid to replace my music, I won't be able to use it again." He was slowly ruining my optimistic mood.  
"Oh, right. Yeah about that... Sorry." I stopped dead. Liam O'Donovan just apologised. I decided to just move on from it. I could sell the iPod and use the money to buy more books.  
"I'll forgive you." I continued walking, "And I'm sorry too. I overreacted a bit."  
"A bit, yeah." He grinned, "Your birthday's next week, yeah?" I eyed him suspiciously. I didn't remember telling him that.  
"Yeah, the thirtieth, why? How did you know that?"  
"Asked Gus." He looked at my project clasped to my chest in the carrier bags. "So you're handing it in today?"  
"Yep! Finished it last night." I grinned proudly. I was really happy with it; I'd managed to include everything I wanted to, and had found a way to describe the causes of WWI in even a way Tracy could understand. Plus, it was a good momento and when I got it back I was going to keep it forever. I'd stuck the picture of my great-great-"granddad" in the back for dedication.  
"D'you think you could show me it at break time?" I was about to answer when his eyes grew wide and he interrupted me, "Actually don't. I can't tell you anything, but just keep it in the carrier bags and in your locker until lunch."  
"Why? I'm meant to give it in after break!" I knew he was up to something, and I demanded to know what!  
"I never said I was up to something! I'm just telling you, you never know."

I decided to ignore Liam's advice. When we got the form room he decided to take a look at my project himself. He was clearly impressed; leaving me with a smug grin for the remainder of the day. Well, that was until _it _happened.  
We were in history and Mr. Mockings was going through my project. He was full of praises and (like Liam) was impressed. I was just going back to my desk with it and glanced at Liam. He was checking his phone, there was text that simply said: _now_. I moved on and placed my work next to me and prepared to continue with work. That was when the fire alarm went off. Everyone got up and began to move out. I reached for my project but before I could grab it the sprinklers went off.

* * *

**A/N: I know I'm rubbish. I'm sorry I'd written this a while ago but somethings happened that made me feel all sad and lonely (I wasn't actually lonely,my friends made that obvious) and I tried to do something about it. I tried to be someone I'm not. But then I realised that if anyone liked me then they'd like me for me (weird music taste, fanfiction, obsessions and all!). Plus I started my history work and I'm determined to keep on top of things this year :)  
I won't ask for reviews because of such a late update, but I will say I will give you and e-cookie if you do :)  
Thank you to everyone who has already reviewed/followed/favourited already! :D  
And if you read fanfiction for the same reason I do (to imagine the untold love stories of the canon characters), then you won't be disappointed to hear that the romance should start in the next chapter. Which I _hope _to update super soon (**_alliteration; english teachers will be proud!_**)! **

**Bye:)**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Dedicated to Sadiki Starlight for giving me the idea for this chapter and for leaving such lovely reviews :)**_

* * *

The sprinklers at my school are less sprinklers; more waterfalls. I had the unfortunate circumstance of being stood in the perfect spot of being soaked, as did my work. I tried to get out-of-the-way before anymore damage could be done, but deep down I knew it was too late. I could feel the paper sagging from the weight of the water and my hair was confirmation that I was soaked through.  
Almost as soon as they started the alarms and the sprinklers went off, they stopped. Mr. Mockings still ushered us all outside. Liam caught my eye and looked as guilty as sin, but I wasn't in the mood to fight; I was far too upset to deal with him right then but if he had _anything _to do with it then he would most certainty feel sorry for it later.  
We weren't the only class to continue with the safety procedure after the alarms stopped. We all lined up, but there was an excited chatter among everyone. It was still raining so I shoved my project up my jumper to try to shield it, but I knew it was in vain. I focused my attention on making sure I didn't cry, but I vaguely noticed someone approach me.  
"Sophie?"I looked up and saw Liam staring reproachingly at me and the corners of the work poking out from the top of my jumper. I glared at him and turned my back on him.  
"Fuck off Liam."

* * *

We were sent home not long after. The prep school wasn't damaged so they had to continue with lessons. The teachers swore that they would find out who it was and who was involved by any means. Elektra and Johnny all but ran back to the dumping ground but I wanted to take my time. It was still pouring with rain and I was ambling along the pavement; my project was already ruined, I didn't care now.  
It took me a moment to recognise the boyish laughter behind me, but there was the unmistakable laugh of Liam O'Donovan.  
"They have no idea!"  
"I know! You really did it this time mate!"  
"Boys, when you're as skilled as I am, you don't need to worry about getting caught: it's like an instinct! In't that right Liam?"  
"Ha, yeah," I thought that sounded rather half-hearted for Liam, but I knew exactly what they were talking about. I spun around and pointed my finger close the boy in the middle's face.  
"It was you!" I vaguely recognised him as Gary, Liam's best friend in school. "You set off the sprinklers!"  
"Yeah? Got us a day off school didn't it?"  
"Just leave it Sophie." Liam was looking at me warily.  
"Why? He was the one who ruined my project- _and you knew!_" Liam's face was the picture of sin, but all the others burst out laughing.  
"So what you gonna do 'bout it?" The whole sprinkler thing aside, I already knew I didn't like Liam's friends; _especially _Gary. I dropped back a bit and folded my arms.  
"Well, I think that at the next opportunity I'll inform the teachers, then they will probably proceed to contact the police and as I _know _this isn't anybody's first vandalism offence then I would imagine that severe action will be taken." I don't think I'd even finished my sentence before I was pushed up against the wall.  
"Listen you little know-it-all bitch, you say one word about this to anyone-"  
"Let her go Gary-" It was slightly comforting that Liam was helping me. Didn't stop me from shaking and squeezing my eyes tight shut though.  
"I got this Liam. Then we're gonna do a hell of a lot more than push you up against the wall. Look at you; making threats like that but when we show you the consequences you can't take it!" Gary suddenly threw me down. "Run home, little girl." I just sat there and stared at my knees as they walked away.  
"Sophie?" I looked up at Liam. I thought he'd gone with the rest of them. I tried to send him and angry disapproved look, but I think it came across as a pitiful desperate look because the tears that were threatening to fall had spilled over onto my cheeks. "I'm really sorry."  
"For what?" I snapped. "For ruining my project or what just happened?"  
"Both." He offered his hand and I took it, hauling myself up. "You alright?"  
"I think so, just a bit shaken up." I picked up my bag and started walking back towards the Dumping Ground.

* * *

"Liam O'Donovan, where have you been? And where is Sophie?" Mike pounced on Liam the moment he walked through the door. I was a few steps behind him but I could hear his struggled replies.  
"I'm here, and he was with me. I'd waiting back at the school to see if I could salvage anymore books - you did hear about the sprinklers, right?- Well, I couldn't, but Elektra and Johnny had already come back without me, and I got lost on the way back. So I texted Liam and he came and met me in the middle of the park, but it took so long because he was almost back when he got the text." Both of them were looking at me with wide eyes.  
"Uh, okay. Thank you Sophie." From behind Mike's shoulder I saw Liam beckon me up the stairs.

I didn't particularly _want_ to go to Liam's room. I followed him to go up the stairs and into my room. But as I passed his door he pulled me in. And I didn't particularly _want _to talk to him either. But as soon as he opened his mouth I stopped him and said:  
"I don't care what you're going to say, I'm going to the head first thing tomorrow and reporting them-"  
"Not me?" Liam asked, perplexed.  
"Well, I- you stayed and made sure I was okay. And you already apologised, and-"  
"I can make sure Gary won't hurt you."  
"Well... maybe." I looked down. In a strange way I felt defeated.  
"What's up Sophie? Usually you're outgoing and determined. With everyone else you're happy and chatty-"  
"Everyone else? No one likes me Liam! No one talks to me and everyone thinks I'm weird!"  
"Oh for _fuck's sake_! That's a lie and you know it! Everyone here loves talking to you and everyone at school loves you in history because you stop them from having to embarrass yourself! And after all that and you think no one likes you then..." He paused before sighing then quickly pressed his lips against mine. It wasn't long but it was enough to make my mind up about Liam. "...Now you know I do."  
Unsure about what to do next, I fleetingly looked at him then quietly left his room and all but ran to mine.

* * *

_**A/N: **_**So not _too _big a gap this time... haha...  
I don't know how often I'll be able to reply for a while because I have a ridiculous amount of rehearsals for the school play and panto rehearsals and blah blah blah blah blahhhh.  
Hm. **

**Since I didn't take too long to update and it's a decent-ish length chapter, how about a review? Even if you want to tell me that it's really rubbish and I should delete the story and go rethink my life, I'd really appreciate it :)  
No but seriously, if you have any criticism/praise I'd really love to hear it.  
**


	8. Update! Important Author's Note

**A/N  
So hello!**

**A lot has happened. I finished my school play and the pantomime and both were a GREAT success! Then I had to get back into school life and by the time life had settled down enough to start thinking about writing again...  
I received an email from my school saying it was closing last Friday. So the past week I've been writing letters to anyone and everyone trying to find a way to keep it open because it's a GREAT school, and on top of that I'm half way through my GCSEs. So that's a HUGE pain.  
Plus I've lost a little inspiration for this story. I don't want to give up on it, and I'm sure I'll come back to it.  
Thanks to everyone who has offered support so far, I have really appreciated it and it has made me smile rereading reviews during this difficult time.  
Please hang on just a little longer, I have NOT abandoned it!**

**~Rain on my Windows  
X**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Short one, but just a quick filler while I have time. I'm going through some things right now but I'm okay (yay!). Nothing too serious though:P**  
**This is almost just a bit of thought tracking with Sophie, really find out how she felt about the last chapter...**

* * *

I had no idea what to think.I wasn't even sure it really happened. One minute we were talking- _arguing- _and then... _That_. I hadn't come out of my room since I left his. I just laid on my bed, my mind a complete blank. I could still picture it: the shock of his statement and then the feeling of his lips on mine.

_He just stole my first kiss._

It wasn't how I'd dreamed it would be. I'd always thought my first kiss would be this great experience with a boy who was a good friend and one day he'd just say _Soph, I just need to kiss you._ And I'd feel buterflies and then he'd take me away from all the care homes and dad-dramas and just make me feel secure.

Liam couldn't take me away from the care homes. He couldn't stop my dad from chasing me... But he _did _give me an odd sense of security. A weird feeling of happiness and made me feel relaxed and content, but that was only when he wasn't around other people. I felt I saw the real Liam when he was trying to reassure me, apologise and comfort, the same Liam that I saw when he kissed me.

A bellow from Gina summond me from my thoughts and hear the rumbling of my stomach. I didn't really want to face Liam. _You can't avoid him forever. _I glanced at my clock. _Three hours Sophie. He's been left three hours not knowing how you've reacted to the kiss, that's not fair._

With a sigh I got up and went down stairs. Dinner wasn't quite ready, but all the other kids sat around the table as Gina continued cooking. Everyone was engrossed in their own activities that they hadn't noticed Liam sat on the window sill, staring absently at the rain grazing the glass. He wasn't so lost in thought not to notice me come in. I didn't want to prolong his agony (as his expression was clearly illustrating it _was_ agony), so I subtly beckoned him to the hallway with my head, which he didn't miss.

"Look, before you start Liam, I just want you to know you didn't upset me. It was just unexpected and I had to think."

"Have you thought?" He looked genuinely concerned. "No pressure, you can just say you don't know, I don't want you to feel like you have to-"

"I don't know, Liam. I just know I liked it. Can we just keep it like that?"

"Sure, I wasn't thinking, sorry" he grinned sheepishly at me.

"I know, it's alright. Shall we go eat before they start making things up about us?" It was getting easier by the second.

"Yeah, good idea. I just need to," Liam bent down slightly and pecked me on the cheek. "'Kay, let's go."

* * *

**A/N Short and sweet... hopefully. **

**Reviews would be nice:)**

**I won't say I'll try to update ASAP because, although I still like this story and want to finish it, I don't want to rush it and I've lost a little inspiration for it.**

**I have, however, gained inspiration for another universe. Well, particularly one character, Dick Grayson. He was the first Robin in Batman and just generally an awesome character in the whole DC universe. I've written a one-shot about him and an OC if you're interested, pleasse go and check it out on my profile and give me a little review for that?^.^'**

**Thank you to who read/reviewed the last chapter ****_and _****the author's note. Dedication = my respect. Here: have an e-cookie:D**

**Nom.**


End file.
